2,3,5,6-Tetrafluorophenylnitren-4-yl: electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic characterization of a quartet-ground-state nitreno radical

J Am Chem Soc. 2008 Apr 2;130(13):4396-403. doi: 10.1021/ja078171s. Epub 2008 Mar 8.

Abstract

2,3,5,6-Tetrafluorophenylnitren-4-yl (5) was synthesized in argon at 4 K via the photolysis of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-iodo-phenyl azide (6). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy allows us to observe triradical 5 in its quartet state with the zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters |D/hc| = 0.285 and |E/hc| = 0.043 cm-1. The quartet ground state of 5 is in accordance with our previous infrared (IR) spectroscopic investigation, in which the high-spin quartet state, but no low-spin doublet state, of 5 was observed in solid argon at 4 K [Wenk, H. H.; Sander, W. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 2742-2745]. Because annealing of the matrix at temperatures of >10 K results in the rapid recombination of the highly reactive species 5 with I atoms produced during the photolysis of 6, the Curie-Weiss behavior could not be investigated. However, the absence of low-spin states in the IR investigations, as well as the results of ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, strongly suggest that 5 has a robust quartet ground state that is best-described as an unprecedented sigma,sigma,pi-triradical. The ZFS of 5 has been successfully reproduced by DFT calculations, which furthermore provide qualitative insight into the origin of the observed EPR parameters.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Azides / chemistry
  • Azides / radiation effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Free Radicals / chemistry
  • Free Radicals / radiation effects
  • Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / chemistry*
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Quantum Theory
  • Ultraviolet Rays

Substances

  • 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenylnitren-4-yl
  • Azides
  • Free Radicals
  • Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated